McGinty: Meyer melodrama one of misplaced values

Often, it provides a person with the clarity to make an informed decision that best suits everyone affected.

Obviously, this is a concept Urban Meyer knows nothing about.

Meyer, the head football coach at the University of Florida, pulled off a remarkable flip-flop this past weekend that would put most politicians to shame. After dealing with various health issues brought on by stress, rage and tension, he did something so noble it left the sports world speechless - he resigned while at the top of his game so he could spend more time with his family.

Of course, that lasted all of 18 hours as Meyer suddenly changed his mind, opted to take a leave of absence and became a modern-day Scrooge.

People are permitted to change their mind, but they shouldn't be permitted to toy with the emotions of their families, or throw the stability of their employers completely out of whack - though that's exactly what Meyer just did.

Suppose you're the father of a potential player for Florida, and you're weighing whether your son one day should suit up for the Gators. What have you now learned about the man who might be your child's next mentor?

For starters, we know he cares so little about his health that he's willing to work himself nearly to death. And if he's willing to jeopardize his own well-being to win a few football games, what does that suggest he'll do regarding the safety of your child?

Likewise, we know he's willing to jerk around his loved ones to satisfy his own ego. Apparently making a Christmas pledge to your family that you value your health and want to be around to participate in the things they cherish can easily be undone by merely watching a series or two of drills when they're not around.

And what does this say about his truthfulness? Meyer was criticized for a well-publicized recruiting flap during his first year at Florida when he told Jevan Snead, the current quarterback at the University of Mississippi, that he only wanted Tim Tebow to play linebacker for him. Of course, two national titles and one Heisman Trophy later, Tebow is set to leave the school as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.

Yet that bit of truth-stretching pales in comparison to the blatant dishonesty he peddled to his family. After the drama of Saturday night, Meyer's resignation was supposed to be so certain that his wife sent a text message to a reporter with The Orlando Sentinel on Sunday morning that said there was "no way" her husband would reconsider resigning.

Just a few hours later, without consulting with his family, Meyer changed his mind, notified his wife from the airplane and threw his loved ones under the bus.

This isn't a sports problem, though. This is an ethical problem, and it's one that ought to be criticized. The national sports media, however, are too confused by this spectacle to offer any sort of logical criticism, and the former collegiate coaches and players who serve as resident analysts on cable sports networks and elsewhere are all too eager to praise Meyer's supposed courage. In turn, they dismiss criticism as simple naiveté from us poor outsiders who never earned millions of dollars for coaching or playing football.

Make no mistake - I'm not belittling modern-day athletics. Likewise, I'm not suggesting Meyer isn't dealing with legitimate health concerns that stem from the very real stresses associating with his profession. It is, however, more than insulting for him to so publicly elevate his professional relationships to a level that is equal to - and judging by his recent actions, possibly more valuable than - his personal ones.

In doing so, he's thrown the program he claims to love into a state of limbo. By his own doing, he's inserted additional scrutiny and pressure at a time when he ought to be reducing it. And, most troubling, he flat-out lied to his family.

When Meyer informed them of his decision to resign, his oldest daughter hugged him and said, "I finally get my daddy back." The next day, when he told his team of his decision to resign, his star quarterback said it felt as if his dad was leaving him.

Just a few hours later, after one practice, Meyer changed his mind, and he picked his quarterback over his daughter.

As baffling as this entire episode is, it's that misplaced value that's the most depressing.

• Johnathan McGinty lives in Oconee County and runs Beyond the Trestle (beyondthetrestle.com), a blog that covers local and state politics.